It is the greatest and most wondrous mystery of the ages that God became human—the Word made flesh in Christ Jesus—and dwelled among us. To be human is indeed a risky endeavor. Why would Jesus choose to empty Himself and enter our world in the epitome of tender vulnerability? This divine vulnerability of God sees us, reaches us, and teaches us what…

Baby Jesus was wrapped in cloth, was laid in a manger, and was held. Nothing unusual for a baby, but might seem unusual for the Triune God to be so dependent on another human being. Together let’s explore what Jesus’ birth teaches us about how we are formed as his followers. Also, on this second Sunday of Advent—Peace Sunday—we’re celebrating with …

You know when you get so used to something you can sometimes miss the grandeur of what is going on around you? Each year, Advent comes and we immerse ourselves in the story of Christ’s birth. We know the story, but what if we stopped, closed our eyes, took a deep breath, and opened our eyes anew to the wonder of the arrival of Jesus? Join us as we …

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Welcome! Join us here for our service at 10AM on Sunday, 11/17. Watch HereWatch on Facebook / YouTube Watch on Facebook / Watch on YouTube An early marker of God’s people was the identity of being blessed for the purpose of being a blessing to the world. Jesus followed up with his disciples about finding joy in giving over receiving. The practice o…

As kids, we were taught that actions speak louder than words. While that could be partly true, we believe that words and actions together bear witness to transformed lives. As disciples, when our words and actions are paired together, they testify to disciples who know and live like Jesus did. Join us this weekend as we look deeper into the practic…

Jesus calls all of us to be his disciples and to learn to live the “Way of Jesus.” That means we are transformed by being with and becoming like him, and then doing what he did! As we search through scriptures, we see that Jesus did a lot of … eating! Jesus constantly gathered people to a meal together. He valued table fellowship as a missional opp…

Do you ever feel like life is like a hamster wheel? You keep running and it keeps spinning. We wonder if and when we will ever be able to get off. What if I was to tell you the Lord gave us a practice in which we are able to step off the wheel? Join us as we explore together the practice of keeping the Sabbath. Exodus 31:12-17 12 Then the Lord said…

We live in one of the noisiest times in all of human history. We may not even know what silence sounds like. One essential practice of Jesus was to seek out silence and solitude in order to connect with the Father. Join us as we explore how the practice of solitude can transform our lives as apprentices of Jesus. Mark 1:35 35 Very early in the morn…

Practicing the way of Jesus involves participating in the rhythms that Jesus did, becoming like Him, and being transformed. All these practices lead to abundant life, but we must start with the source of life, the Word of God. Join us as we examine Scripture as the source and learn to practice the way of Jesus together. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 14 But as …

Jesus prayed. Jesus’ disciples asked how he prayed. Yet for many of us, we still struggle with what we should pray, or how we should pray. The fact remains, a practice of prayer is essential to the life of a disciple. Join us as we learn from one another’s practice of prayer. Matthew 6:9-15 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in hea…

So, we are committed to becoming disciples of Jesus. But how are we formed into disciples? Romans tells us we need to be on guard with how we are being formed each and every day. We are being de-formed and re-formed into disciples who either look like the world or look like Jesus. Join us as we explore how to become more like Jesus. Romans 12:2 2 D…

In Luke 24 we find despondent, despairing, deconstructing disciples walking away from community, and the empty tomb. Jesus meets them. On the road. In the questions. In the Word. At the table. And in their hearts. Let’s travel this journey together and discover deeper what it means to meet the resurrected Lord right where we are. Luke 24:13-35 13 N…

As the Talmidim of Jesus, the disciples would listen to the teachings of their rabbi. As they listened to His teachings, they would learn the heart of their rabbi. What does our rabbi Jesus care about? Do we care about what our rabbi cares about? Join us as we learn to care about what He cares about! Matthew 6:33 33 But seek first his kingdom and h…

The Talmidim of Jesus are not just Christians who like what the rabbi Jesus says, but who choose to be in proximity and become fully like their rabbi. This year we are exploring what it means to be a church community that is formed by nothing other than Jesus. The process of becoming like Jesus is a lifelong journey of being like Jesus in thought, …

How you leave matters! What you say and do as you go can have a lasting impact many years into the future. Hebrews looks at the last moments of Jacob’s life and the impact he left for the next generation to follow. Join us as we understand the impact each moment of our lives can have on those around us. Hebrews 11:21 21 By faith Jacob, when he was …

Abraham is referred to as the “Father of Faith” because of the many examples of his faith throughout Scripture. Time and again, Abraham is obedient to God’s call—no matter the destination or the outcome. Join us as we explore Abraham’s life of obedience and the lessons it holds for us to become faithful followers of God. Hebrews 11:8-19 8 By faith …

Each person in the hall of faith faces a turning point; a moment when they must choose between the narrow way, or the wide path. Moses is no different. Facing the decision between being God’s chosen leader for the people of Israel or a leader in the palace, Moses made a choice. Join us as we learn from Moses’ story of choosing the narrow path walke…

This week, we will explore the story of one of the greatest—yet “most unlikely”—heroines of faith, Rahab. Hers is a grand rescue story that weaves a Scarlet Rope of Redemption from Old Testament to New, exploring the far-reaching effects of a faith that acts. Hebrews 11, Joshua 2:1-16, Matthew 1:5 Hebrews 11 1 Now faith is confidence in what we hop…

Do you want the promise or the person? When we want a promise to come true, we might even do anything in our power to influence the outcome. What if it takes too long? What if it doesn’t come true? What do we do with our doubt? Sarah’s story is a beautiful story of learning to trust the promise-maker. Hebrews 11 Hebrews 11 1 Now faith is confidence…

When everything in the world was going wrong, the Lord called upon Noah not to save the world, but to have faith. It is said in Hebrews that it was “by faith” Noah and others are esteemed for what God did through them. Even when Noah could not see what was on the horizon, he had faith in the God he knew. Join us as we learn from Noah to believe eve…

Pine Lake Youth students and leaders returning from a week at UNITE 2024 reflect on their experience! Watch HereWatch on Facebook / YouTube Watch on Facebook / Watch on YouTube The post Reflections on UNITE 2024 appeared first on Pine Lake Covenant Church.Von Pine Lake Covenant Church

You cannot have a Hall of Faith without the heroine, Esther. Hebrews only mentions a fraction of those in the Hall, and surely what God did for His people through Esther is one for the record books. Join us this weekend as we peer inside the turning point for Esther and the people of Israel as they were unwittingly about to be massacred. Esther’s r…

Those who have gone before us leave a legacy of faith. Even the book of Hebrews lists the who’s who of the faithful. What are the requirements for being included among those with extraordinary faith and how does that differ from halls of fame we’ve created? Join us this summer as we look at the giants of faith and how we can learn from their accomp…

One minute you think everything in life is going as it should and then a storm hits. It can feel like it will last forever, even though you know it won’t. Join us as we discover what we are to learn from storms, and God’s presence in the midst of them. Acts 27:13-38 13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weig…

What is the point of trials? What do we learn by reading Paul’s trials as he seeks to share the Gospel? There is a purpose to the trials in the book of Acts and in our lives. Join us this weekend as we understand how our trials become our testimonies! Acts 26 26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motione…

We are all worshipers. Every day we worship. Paul encountered a group of worshipers who had every god under the sun represented, even an unknown one. The question is, who do we worship? Join us as we learn to worship as embodied people Jesus the Messiah. Acts 17:22-34 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens…

When becoming a member of an organization, there are often rules and regulations that keep some groups out, while allowing certain groups in. Jesus’ death and resurrection changed everything, but some of the disciples didn’t get the memo. Just as Jesus changed the qualifications for being a disciple, the church also needs to change in order to refl…

This week is Confirmation Sunday! Come celebrate all that God has done and continues to do in the life of our 13 students who have journeyed through the confirmation experience this year. This is not only a huge step in these students’ faith journey, but an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness as a church. Watch HereWatch on Facebook / YouTu…

From Genesis to Revelation, we read about God’s people following the Spirit’s lead. We see in the book of Acts that the Holy Spirit is poured out on the church at Pentecost, but do we live lives filled with the Holy Spirit? What are the barriers to walking with the Spirit every day? Join us this Sunday as we reflect on finding and following the Hol…

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything. When everything is turned upside down from what you know, it is hard to orient to the new way of Jesus. Peter experiences this firsthand in a powerful vision, while affirming the new paradigm through an unlikely vessel. Join us as we learn to practice the way of Jesus, who has turned ev…

“Isn’t this the person who used to [insert negative trait], but now they are a completely different person?” One of the greatest compliments a disciple can receive is the change in them witnessed by family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. Join us as we look at one of the greatest transformations of the early church and what it means for us as di…

The early church disperses into the surrounding region, not of its own volition, but because of widespread persecution. What they find in the midst of this dispersion are people who are ready to receive the good news Jesus has to offer. Today, the church is as scattered as ever, but are people ready to receive the good news? Join us as we learn fro…

In the places we go, the things we buy, everything has a cost. As the disciples spread the good news of Jesus they began to experience the cost of following Jesus. But what is the cost of following Jesus today? Join us as we explore the cost of our discipleship to Jesus. Acts 7 7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” 2 To th…

The new community of Holy Spirit-filled disciples flipped the world upside down with their radical reorientation around the way of Jesus. They were devoted to: teaching, fellowship, prayer and breaking bread! Join us this week as we explore the core values of the transformed early church and what we can learn about how to be a community today! Acts…

Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit would come, and the disciples waited for its arrival. When the Spirit arrived, it arrived in power and changed the course of the church in one day! So what does that mean for us? Was that experience of the Holy Spirit just for those disciples? Join us as we seek to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our liv…

The disciples had been with Jesus, they were formed to become like Him, and then it was time to do what Jesus did. But, what does that look like without Jesus? How could we do what Jesus did? How do we spread the message of Jesus to our neighbors and community? We still have the same questions the disciples had. The book of Acts is the second volum…

Easter morning we celebrate the risen Jesus, who conquered sin and death! What do we do, though, for those of us who struggle with our unbelief? What does Easter offer the curious, the doubters, and the faithful? It is a call to come and see. Join us as we explore the implications of Jesus’ call to his disciples and us to take notice of his wounds!…

This week we consider the last words that Jesus spoke right before he took his last breath. These words are especially significant when we consider that just one week prior, Jesus entered into Jerusalem heralded as king. In the midst of Palm Sunday and in anticipation of Holy Week leading into Easter, we consider this one simple question from the c…

What was so important about Jesus’ thirst that it needed to be recorded for us to hear? To hear Jesus’ cry of thirst is to understand the suffering He was enduring. Join us as we explore the living water that Jesus offers for our suffering and thirsty souls. John 19:28-30 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scriptur…

Jesus’ final declaration from the cross to the people was, “It is finished.” In this pronouncement, Jesus is saying so many things about his life, his work on the cross, his ministry, and his calling on earth. Come and explore this joyous assertion that Jesus is victorious over sin and the implications for how we now live in light of God’s victory.…

Matthew 27:46 may be the most honest and weighty OMG in history—“…and Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, we will sit with this difficult ‘last word’ of Jesus from the cross. Matthew 27:46 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a]lem…

This week, we continue our Lenten journey from the cross to the tomb as we explore Jesus’ last words, “Woman, behold your son,” and to his disciple, “behold your mother.” These are words Jesus spoke to his mother, Mary, and his disciple, John. These words are a message of compassion, provision, and a new relationship forged in faith. This Sunday we…

As we enter this Lenten season, we journey with Jesus from the cross to the tomb. In the final hours of His earthly time, as Jesus was dying, He spoke seven times from the cross. Last words can be very revealing. Jesus’ last words of forgiveness, salvation, relationship abandonment, distress, triumph and reunion enable us to look into eternity and …

This week we conclude our series, “The Power to Change,” as we reflect upon how change can actually last for a lifetime. The roadmap to change prescribed by our culture is one of “trying harder” or “giving that little extra…” While that might work in some capacities, Jesus prescribes a different roadmap for lasting change: one rooted in changing ou…

Our worship might not seem like it needs to change, but God wants more than just our worship; He wants our lives. In this prophetic word from Amos, God makes it clear that He is not pleased with the Israelites worship and wants their righteousness and justice along with their worship. Come and reflect on what God wants our worship and our lives to …

It’s great to have a routine or rhythm for our days, but when it gets too comfortable or too routine, our world around us often gets smaller. However, when we shift our focus off ourselves and our comfort zone, instead looking to God and his fullness, he reorients us to his purposes. Join us as we explore where Jesus may be desiring to shift your f…

This week we continue in our series, “The Power to Change,” as we consider the ways in which change actually occurs. From the very beginning, God was focused on relationship with creation, even in the midst of brokenness and uncertainty. This week, we will explore the ways in which relationship will always be the vehicle for reconciliation in our l…

The power to change begins with surrender and repentance, both corporately and personally, but deepens with trust when the wheels fall off. Deuteronomy 8:1-10 1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how th…

As we look to God and the world around us, where do we even begin to make a positive change? We can try harder and make more plans, but will they amount to anything? Instead, Jesus reorients us—changing our relationships, priorities, and even our worship. He is the Power to Change. Watch HereWatch on FacebookWatch on YouTube Watch on Facebook Watch…